22 November 2005
Mercy Dash by Army Doctors

Australian Army medics currently deployed on OPERATION PAKISTAN ASSIST helped save the life of an elderly local today. The 84-yr old man who was suffering from medical complications was rushed from an army field medical facility currently set up in the earthquake-effected region of Dhanni onto a Pakistani helicopter to undergo emergency surgery in Islamabad.

Australian Army Doctor MAJ Dave Ward a reservist from the sunshine Coast currently serving with the Australian contingent said the man would have certainly died if it had not been for the Aussie medics who identified his medical condition and organised an Aero Medical Evacuation (AME). MAJ Ward stayed with the man and provided medical attention until the helicopter arrived. The man's family had carried him 6klm on a make shift stretcher through mountainous terrain to reach the Australian medical facility.

An Australian Defence Force medical team of about 140 personnel began to deploy into Pakistan on 11-12 November 2005 to provide vital health care assistance as part of the Australian Government's relief assistance to Pakistan following earthquakes on 8 October.

The ADF medical team quickly began work in the remote earthquake-devastated town of Dhanni, about 20km northeast of Muzaffarabad, on the Pakistan side of the Kashmir Line Of Control.

Four Australian Army Black Hawk helicopters are being deployed to Pakistan to provide essential transport and support tasks for the ADF medical team. The helicopters will give the team mobility to extend assistance from the central medical facility at Dhanni to remote communities of the region, where earthquake damage has worsened the difficulties of limited road access, mountainous terrain and harsh winter weather.

The composition and skills of the team deployed reflect the extensive experience of the Australian Defence Force in providing humanitarian assistance in remote regions of other countries affected by natural disasters.

The ADF team includes a command element, aviation detachment, logistics and communications. Most of the health and support personnel are drawn from the Army logistic support force based at Randwick Barracks, Sydney. The medical team is supplemented by an Air Force primary health care team from Richmond, New South Wales. Other personnel are drawn from a range of units across Australia, including Reserves. The Black Hawk detachment is mostly from the Australian Army 5th Aviation Regiment, based in Townsville.

20051121adf8239682_0037 Major David Ward helps evacuate an elderly man into a Pakistani helicopter, the man is in need of life saving surgery. (Date taken: 21 November 2005) Low-Res | Hi-Res	20051121adf8239682_0038 Major David Ward helps evacuate an elderly man into a Pakistani helicopter, the man is in need of life saving surgery. (Date taken: 21 November 2005) Low-Res | Hi-Res
20051121adf8239682_0040 Major David Ward helps evacuate an elderly man into a Pakistani helicopter, the man is in need of life saving surgery. (Date taken: 21 November 2005) Low-Res | Hi-Res	20051121adf8239682_0044 Major David Ward helps evacuate an elderly man into a Pakistani helicopter, the man is in need of life saving surgery. (Date taken: 21 November 2005) Low-Res | Hi-Res
20051121adf8239682_0046 Lieutenant Adam Wallace helps evacuate an elderly man in need of life saving surgery. (Date taken: 21 November 2005) Low-Res | Hi-Res	20051121adf8239682_0049 Major David Ward helps evacuate an elderly man with a bowel obstruction, with out treatment the local man would have died in twelve hours. (Date taken: 21 November 2005) Low-Res | Hi-Res
20051121adf8239682_0065 Lieutenant Adam Wallace and Major David Ward help evacuate an elderly man in need of immediate surgery. (Date taken: 21 November 2005) Low-Res | Hi-Res	20051121adf8239682_0076 Major David Ward helps evacuate an elderly man with a bowel obstruction, with out treatment the local man would have died in twelve hours. (Date taken: 21 November 2005) Low-Res | Hi-Res
20051121adf8239682_0085 Lieutenant Adam Wallace and Major David Ward helps evacuate an elderly man in need of immediate surgery. (Date taken: 21 November 2005) Low-Res | Hi-Res	20051121adf8239682_0091 Major David Ward helps evacuate an elderly man with a bowel obstruction, with out treatment the man would have died with in twelve hours. (Date taken: 21 November 2005) Low-Res | Hi-Res
20051121adf8239682_0143 MERCY DASH, Australian soldiers evacuate a local man in Dhanni. (Date taken: 21 November 2005) Low-Res | Hi-Res	20051121adf8239682_0188 Major David Ward helps evacuate an elderly man with a bowel obstruction, with out treatment the man would have died with in twelve hours. (Date taken: 21 November 2005) Low-Res | Hi-Res
20051121adf8239682_0194 Major David Ward helps evacuate an elderly man with a bowel obstruction, with out treatment the man would have died with in twelve hours. (Date taken: 21 November 2005) Low-Res | Hi-Res